MORE than 20,000 homes and businesses are at risk of flooding across Wrexham county – and people need to get ready for the fact they are increasingly likely to be affected.

MORE than 20,000 homes and businesses are at risk of flooding across Wrexham county – and people need to get ready for the fact they are increasingly likely to be affected.

That’s the warning from a council report raising concerns some key structures and roads are at risk – including the new Wrexham Industrial Estate link road, the A483, Maelor Hospital and Technology Park, schools, Queensway Sports Centre, Glyndwr University and the A494.

Now councillors are being asked to consider an 11-point action plan to address future flooding.

Among the locations at risk, some are predicted to flood once in 100 years, others once in 200 years and a minority once in 30 years.

The locations with the most people affected are in Acton Community Council area, with potentially 4,039 properties at risk – a total of 9,810 people, with Acton Park also prone, the survey found. Caia Park had 3,939 “address points” at risk with 8,784 people in the zone; Offa – 3,651 properties with 8,142 people; and Rhosddu - 3,401 properties covering 7,584.

The main flood threats are from surface water, sewer overloads, groundwater tables breaking through and rivers breaking their banks, such as the Dee and River Alyn.

The preliminary study was undertaken by Wrexham council as part of its new local flood risk management plan to counter any future floods in the coming decades.

It used data from agencies such as the Environment Agency and the Civic Canal and River Trust, and climate change projections to draw up with the projections.

The 11-point action plan includes: developing protocols for early response to floods, and establishing maintenance programmes for any natural or manmade structures which could affect flooding and investigating the causes.

It also includes ensuring, by 2026, everyone in a possible flood area understands the risks they are subjected to, and the development of a funding policy to finance flood defence improvements.

The report comes after one of the wettest years on record with major floods across the region including in Ruthin and St Asaph.

Although there are “at risk” properties in the county, the survey found there were no areas in Wrexham identified as being at the “significant risk threshold with potentially affected populations of 5,000 people are more.

The report said: “This strategic approach is important because our climate is changing and in coming years we will experience hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters.

“Forecasts suggest that we will see higher sea levels, increased intensity of rainfall and more frequent flooding. More of us will experience flooding, the consequences of flooding will be greater, and risk to life, the economy and environment will increase and represent a significant challenge.”

Charlotte Beattie, who co-wrote the report, said it covered flooding, from puddles outside a property, up to major flood events.

“As part of the strategy we want to make people aware of the risks and what inform options they can take to protect themselves,” she said.

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